---
title: Download QEMU
permalink: /download/
---

<div class="horiz-menu">
<ul style="display: none;">
<li><a href="#source">Source code</a></li>
<li><a href="#linux">Linux</a></li>
<li><a href="#macos">macOS</a></li>
<li><a href="#windows">Windows</a></li>
</ul>

<article id="source" class="active">
	<header>
	<h2>Source code</h2>
	</header>
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</article>

<article id="linux" class="active">
	<header>
	<h2>Linux</h2>
	</header>
	{% markdown_relative _download/linux.md %}
</article>

<article id="macos" class="active">
	<header>
	<h2>macOS</h2>
	</header>
	{% markdown_relative _download/macos.md %}
</article>

<article id="windows" class="active">
	<header>
	<h2>Windows</h2>
	</header>
	{% markdown_relative _download/windows.md %}
</article>

</div>

<h2>Version numbering</h2>
<div>
  <p>
  Since version 3.0.0, QEMU uses a time based version numbering scheme:
  </p>
<dl>
<dt>major</dt>
<dd>incremented by 1 for the first release of the year</dd>
<dt>minor</dt>
<dd>reset to 0 with every major increment, otherwise incremented by 1 for each release from git master</dd>
<dt>micro</dt>
<dd>always 0 for releases from git master, incremented by 1 for each stable branch release</dd>
</dl>
  <p>
    The implication of this is that changes in major version number
    <strong>do not</strong> have any bearing on the scope of changes
    included in the release. Non-backward compatible changes may be made
    in any master branch release, provided they have followed the
    <a href="https://www.qemu.org/docs/master/about/deprecated.html">deprecation
    policy</a> which calls for warnings to be emitted for a minimum of two
    releases prior to the change.
  </p>
</div>
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